


FE: Birdsong and Ash

by Skylerius



Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Aversa is Robin's Sister, Childhood, Childhood Memories, Childhood Trauma, F/M, Fairly Canon Compliant, Family Feels, Gen, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Origin Story, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, slight AU, torn family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-15
Updated: 2019-08-15
Packaged: 2020-09-01 13:25:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20258818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skylerius/pseuds/Skylerius
Summary: This may either be a cohesive piece or a collection of small pieces cobbled together into some semblance of an AU. Regardless, enjoy!"Ylissean mage Althea was torn from her home village and drafted into the military by the bloodthirsty Exalt out to destroy Plegia, only for her to be taken as a prisoner of war mere months into her service. Rather than be publicly executed by the Plegians, she was chosen to act as one of the concubines for the leader of the Grimleal cult, Lord Validar, who valued the strong magic coursing through her blood as he and the other Grimleal focused on breeding strong mages in hopes of finding a worthy host for their god. Nearly a decade later, Ylisse and Plegia are still at war, and Althea is the mother of eight-year-old Aversa, as well as a newborn bearing the brand of the Fell Dragon Grima. She knows what this means, and must make choices for the sake of her home country, no matter how hard."





	FE: Birdsong and Ash

** :~~..:..~~..:..~~..:..~~:**

A hot, dry wind blew over the vast expanse of the desert, whipping up a cloud of sand that coated everything in a perpetual, fine layer of dust. Sagebrush stubbornly clung to the dry, cracked earth with wiry roots, brittle leaves turned towards the sun to soak up the harsh light while awaiting the next rain that was sure to arrive in a few weeks time, upon the beginning of the brief but blessed rainy season in the otherwise arid Plegian desert. People still scurried about despite the heat and the wind, cloth garments wrapped around their heads and faces to help shield them from the sand being kicked up, lips chapped and skin darkened to shades of rich bronze and dark brown from the unrelenting sun.

That was, aside from one fair-skinned woman who remained safely in the shade of a beautiful pavilion settled in the middle of the Plegian city, laying back on an ornate sofa with a gilded wooden frame and deep maroon cushions, an array of embroidered pillows helping to prop her upright and support her back. She was very obviously pregnant, her arms draped loosely around her round, bare middle, marked by blue veins and stretch marks that crawled over her skin like tiny rivers and tributaries. Not that she had seen a river in the past several years... the sounds of rushing water and trees rustling in the wind were but faded memories after being taken captive nearly a decade ago.

She was Ylissean, a mage dragged away from her home village to serve in the military under orders of the bloodthirsty Exalt, only to end up as a prisoner of war within months of her service to the Halidom. She should have been slated for death, publicly executed with a crowd of angry Plegian onlookers throwing rocks and insults, but rather, she was selected by the cult leader of the Grimleal, a tall, narrow man by the name of Validar, to serve as one of his concubines. It was not a fate she had ever seen herself having, even in her worst nightmares as she was sent off to war... part of her thought death would surely be better than being a bird kept in a gilded cage, but then, the other part of her was a mother, and did truly love her children, the first of which was eight years old now.

"Mother!" Her daughter chirped from where she played on the floor, holding up one of her favorite horse figurines; it was wooden but coated in silver, with tiny amethysts for eyes and fine emerald green thread making up its mane and tail. "Do you think my sister will like horses, too?"

"Sister?" The woman smiled, her fingers gently rubbing circles over her pregnant stomach. "Are you so sure you won't have a brother instead, Aversa?"

Aversa shook her head, her snow white hair, caught up in a dozen messy braids, swaying from the golden hair clip holding it all to the back of her little head. "I'm having a sister, I know it."

Her mother smiled with a sigh, shifting her weight against the pillows supporting her sore lower back. "Well, my smart girl, I'm sure that if you have a sister, she will love all the things you do. You'll teach her, right?"

"Yes!" Aversa broke into a wide grin as white as her hair, standing out against the warm, light brown tone of her skin. She had the darker skin and reddish eyes of her Plegian father, and was already showing herself to be a tall and lithe girl who would likely be at least half a foot taller than her mother. However, the resemblance to her cursed father ended there, with her soft facial features, white hair, and dainty chin clearly being copied directly from her mother, as if she had looked into a mirror and simply colored herself differently with warm-toned paints. And she was such a sweet girl, still young and innocent, even when the other Grimleal put a tome in her hands and taught her the basics of magic so she could someday serve in Plegia's army like the rest of the cult's children, bred like prized calves to send to the slaughter.

"Lady Althea?" A servant appeared from behind the thick swaths of cloth flowing between the pavilion's pillars, her skin glistening with a layer of sweat as her dark hair clung to her head, chapped lips held firmly in flat line. The servants did not smile here.

Althea turned her head to greet the servant, her eyes falling on the item she held in her hands; it was covered by a white cloth, only revealing a large, domed shape. "Yes?"

"A gift, from Lord Validar," the servant explained, bowing her head towards the item in her hands.

Another sigh rushed out of Althea's nose, this time sharper, her eyes narrowing slightly with annoyance and distaste. "Very well, place it on the table." She waved the servant off, having no interest in looking at the latest of the gifts Validar sent her. They were not tokens of love and affection, but rather reminders that she herself was a prize to be owned and kept by him.

The servant obediently walked across the cool tile floor of the pavilion, setting the cloth-covered object on the table behind the sofa, which also held bowls of fruit and bread, as well as a pitcher of water, and a few more of Aversa's jewel-encrusted toys she had scattered about in her play. After another bow, the woman then scurried off, leaving the cool shade behind to venture out into the sun, off to run another errand for the Grimleal lord she and all the other cult members so fervently followed.

Curious, Aversa rose to her feet and gazed at the table with a tilt of her head. "What is it, Mother?"

"A gift from your father, I suppose," Althea replied, now smoothing her long, thin skirt, and fixing the cropped top holding her swollen, sore breasts in place. Being pregnant did not help with how hot she felt, and at times like this, she was sorely tempted to go indoors and just lay in the bath all day to try to keep cool.

"Can I see it?"

"Alright, just be careful."

Aversa happily trotted up to the table, her bare feet pattering softly on the tile floor, dress swishing about her knees. She grasped the edge of the sheet covering the object and lifted up the corner to take a peek at what was underneath, her reddish-amber eyes wide as she was met with the sight of thin, golden cage bars. "Mother! Mother, look!" She tugged the sheet off of the object, which was now revealed to be an ornate bird cage, containing a pair of small grey birds that were certainly not native to Plegia. "They're birds! And they're so cute!"

Now curious herself, Althea hefted herself up off the sofa, hands braced against her middle as she waddled over to her daughter and peered into the cage. The birds had solid grey feathers over most of their bodies, but their throats and chests were a beautiful, rusty red, and they had white flecks under their eyes. She blinked, surprised to see such a common Ylissean bird after years of being away from home. "They're robins..."

"Robins?" Aversa asked, holding the edge of the table and leaning her face close to the cage.

Althea nodded, explaining, "Robins are songbirds from the land of Ylisse. They don't hunt other animals like the burrowing owls and eagles you're used to seeing; they like to eat berries, and bugs. And they sing."

"They _sing?_" Aversa looked up at her, mouth agape and eyes as wide as dinner plates.

Chuckling, she rested her hand on her daughter's head, smoothing some of the bits of her hair that somehow fought free of her braids. "Yes, when they chirp to one another, it sounds like music. Right now they're very nervous after the trip here, but maybe once they calm down, you'll get to hear them. Why don't we take them inside and get them settled?"

The eight-year-old nodded in agreement, scampering towards the door that would lead from the outdoor pavilion to the interior of the miniature palace they called home. "Can we put them in the bedroom?"

"I think that's a great idea," Althea agreed, reaching one hand out to carefully pick up the cage by the handle on top, her other hand sliding under the cage to support it from below as she followed her daughter inside.

Their home was not a very warm and relaxing place, rather being decorated almost to the point of being cluttered by all manner of precious metals and jewels, which was the one commodity that Plegia actually had in plenty, thanks to the various mines etched out of the desert sandstone. Embroidered tapestries hung from every wall, solid silver vases holding fake flowers that Althea had made with her daughter using colorful paper and silk, the couches covered in cushions and bookshelf full of low-level tomes and random trinkets, ranging from jewel-encrusted jewelry boxes to a golden elephant figurine settled high on the top shelf, for fear Aversa would drop it on her head or little toes. Every window had fine silk drapes hanging from it, swaying in the dry breeze that at least kept it from being stuffy, even if it was hot, and the stone tile floors had thick rugs covering as much of their surface as possible, per Althea's request, to allow for a bit of cushion if any of her children tripped and fell. Stone was not very forgiving on little toddler skulls.

Aversa led the way into the bedroom they shared, a large four-poster bed settled against one wall, also adorned in cushions and drapery, while one corner of the room was separated by yet more drapes, housing Aversa's smaller bed and furniture, granting her just a bit of privacy now that she wasn't a little baby anymore. The cradle that was once hers was still in the room as well, settled right beside the large bed as it awaited its next occupant.

"Over here, Mother!" Aversa scampered up to a dresser settled just below a wide window, smoothing the decorative cloth that was draped over the top of it, tassels hanging over the sides. "They can look out the window!"

"I'm sure they'll like that," Althea agreed, waddling over and gently setting the cage on the dresser. The birds inside were nervously chirping, heads tilting this way and that as their shiny black eyes took in their surroundings from the wooden perch inside their cage. There was also a pair of golden dishes attached to the inside wall of the cage, both of which were empty, which made Althea give a small frown. "We should get them some food and water. I'm sure it's been a long trip."

"I can help!" Her daughter immediately offered, holding her arms up in the air. "I can get the water!"

Opening the cage door to carefully extract the dishes without startling the birds, Althea handed one of them to the eager child. "Alright, fill this dish with some fresh water, okay? I'm going to see if we have anything they'll like to eat."

The pair made their way into the kitchen, where Aversa fetched a half-empty jug of water to pour some into the little dish she had been given. She bit her lip in concentration, doing her best not to spill any, which made Althea chuckle softly as she turned away to open some cabinets, hunting down some seeds and grain, as well as a piece of fruit she could chop up into pieces small enough for the birds to eat.

"Can I help cut it?" Aversa appeared at her elbow the moment she set the fruit on the cutting board, holding the now-full dish of water in her hands.

"Let me do it today," Althea replied, taking one of the kitchen knives to dice the fruit. She was teaching her daughter how to safely use utensils like knives, but still felt nervous putting anything sharp in the hands of a little child.

Her daughter gave a soft 'aww' but didn't pout; she knew better than that. Instead, she just watched her mother's technique as she sliced up the fruit, discarding the stem, and reached out to sneak a little piece off the cutting board when Althea turned away to rinse off the knife. Then, they returned to the bedroom, where Althea placed the dishes back inside the cage for the birds, so they could eat and drink once they felt calm enough to do so. She hoped they would adjust well to their new surroundings. They reminded her of her true home, and she didn't want to lose them too soon.

"There you go, birdies," Aversa murmured, watching her mother, then asked, "What kind of birds are they again?"

Carefully closing the bird cage's door, Althea replied, "Robins. They-- _ohhh_..."

A brief, nauseating pain washed over her in that moment, and she swayed slightly on her feet. Quickly, she braced one hand against the dresser, the other holding her distended middle as she hunched over. She breathed heavily through her mouth and closed her eyes, taking a moment to power through the wave of pain as it came and went, leaving her feeling tired and sick.

"M-Mother...?" Aversa whimpered, standing at her hip. "Are you okay...?"

Putting on a reassuring smile, she opened her eyes to look down at her little girl. "Of course. The baby is just reminding me it's time for a rest. Why don't we go lie down?"

Aversa nodded, grasping onto her skirt as they shuffled over to the large four-poster bed. Mother and daughter then sprawled out on the cool silk sheets together to sleep through the hottest hours of the day; at least, Althea was able to doze, while Aversa lay beside her and rested one little hand against her belly, feeling for the movements of her little sibling. As she dozed off and on, she could catch snippets of conversation Aversa was having with the baby, talking about all the things they would do together... learning to swim down at the oasis, experimenting with thunder magic, playing with the horse figurines she loved so much, and begging their father to learn how to ride real horses and pegasi. Such sweet dreams... so naive...

As Althea slipped into a deeper sleep, her daughter's sweet voice transitioned into deep, garbled words creeping into the corners of her mind. A haze of red filled her vision, bringing with it fleeting images of birds singing in the treetops... fire exploding up from the earth, devouring the forest... a battlefield littered with corpses that slowly moved to stand again, choking on smog that rose from their own throats... a young man with dark blue hair, reaching out, crying a name that she couldn't hear over the deafening roar of a beast that she could put no face or name to, just... just a row of glowing red eyes in the darkness... calling, calling, _he was calling_\--

She abruptly woke with a startled gasp, hands flying to her stomach. She couldn't be sure if it was the nightmare that brought her back to wakefulness, or the pain that had returned, sweeping over her stomach and back like a wyvern was squeezing her tightly in its jaws. A groan was forced out of her, no matter how hard she tried to hold it back, and she clutched her stomach, feeling her abdominal muscles clench under her hands, moving on their own accord.

She knew this feeling well, and was not entirely surprised; she had been having contractions off and on for the past twelve hours, gradually increasing in frequency instead of fading away. It was time.

"Aversa?" Althea called out to her daughter, cringing at how nervous her own voice sounded. She forced herself to sit up, taking in the sight of her bedroom, which was vacant except for herself and the pair of birds resting in their cage. Deep shadows fell over the room, the sky outside tinged with hues of red and violet as the sun descended over the horizon, and the smell of supper wafted through the rapidly cooling air to fill the room with the scent of chicken cooked in oil and pepper. That lovely scent would normally have her eagerly waddling out to eat, but right now, it just made her nauseous as the pain refused to leave her.

"Aversa!" She called again, more urgently, and she heard rapid footsteps moving towards her room, too big to belong to her daughter.

"M-milady?" A servant hurried through the doorway, freezing when she saw the state Althea was in. "Should I--?"

"Get out!" Althea snarled, surprised by the vehemence in her own voice, but her heart was still pounding after her nightmare, and she just wanted to be left alone. She didn't want help from any of the blasted Grimleal that swarmed this place like rats of the plague. "_GET OUT! _I need Aversa! _Aversa!_"

The nervous servant hesitantly backed out of the room, making way for Aversa to come rushing through the doorway, panicked by her mother's distraught voice. "Mother? Mother?! Are you okay?!"

Althea calmed when she was alone with her daughter, smoothing one hand over her pained stomach. "I... the baby... the baby is coming. Your little sibling."

Aversa stood at the foot of the bed, eyes wide and face pale. She was young, but had been taught enough to know that babies were not delivered by a bird, like many Ylissean children were told when they were little... she knew the baby came out of her mother, and apparently, it was fairly painful and scary.

"It's okay, it's okay...!" Althea hurriedly soothed her, now that she felt she had control over her emotions gain. "You're going to help Mother, okay? I need you to fetch me a clean, sharp knife... be careful with it. And a piece of twine, some towels, and a big bowl of water, okay? The... the servant can help you with the water, but we're going to do this just us, okay?"

"O-okay..." Aversa replied in a near-whisper, hesitating a moment longer before turning to scamper off to fetch the things her mother requested.

Breathing deeply, Althea shifted around to make herself more comfortable on her bed. Perhaps this was unfair, and she was asking too much of her eight-year-old daughter, but she just could not shake the fear clinging to her heart. Something wasn't right. She just knew in her heart she couldn't allow one of the Grimleal in the room with her. She had to deliver this baby on her own, with the only person she could trust providing what little help she could.

Aversa was so brave, returning with all the things her mother needed, and shutting the door to keep the prying eyes of the nervous servants away. While they all cowered at the moans and furious cries of the war mage giving birth in her bedroom, Aversa dutifully remained by her side, kneeling on the bed and clutching her mother's shoulder with both hands.

The birth of Althea's second child went much swifter than the birth of her first, with only a few hours passing between the start of her labor and the moment when she pushed her baby into the world, easing the tiny newborn onto the mattress, sheets now ruined by blood and fluid, not that it mattered. She quickly wiped at the baby's face, cleaning its mouth and nose to allow it to suck in its first breath and give a shrill little cry, tiny limbs thrashing as it lay on its back, still attached to its mother by the umbilical cord, older sister gazing at it with wide eyes and a gaping mouth that slowly curved into a breathless smile.

Althea couldn't help a soft laugh as she shakily took the piece of twine to die off the umbilical cord, then cut it with the dagger her daughter had brought her. "I... I guess you were right, Aversa..." Her daughter handed her a damp towel without needing to be asked, and Althea worked to wipe the blood off the baby's tiny body, prompting the little one to kick her feet and continue to cry. She then gathered the baby up in a dry towel, wrapping her tightly and holding her close to keep her warm. "You have a sister..."

Aversa still looked a bit pale in the face from witnessing the miracle of childbirth, but she eagerly pressed close to Althea's side, looking down at the tiny creature that was her new baby sister. "I knew it! I knew you were a girl!" She gave a strained but genuine little laugh, resting one hand against the towel swaddling the infant.

Smiling warmly at her daughters, Althea let out a breath. She sensed that there was something about this night, this moment between her and her children, that was important... that Aversa needed to be there, to witness her sister's life begin, to feel that rush of protectiveness that came with seeing such a tiny, fragile life be fought for the way all women fought to have their children. Yes, this was right. This was the way it was supposed to be.

"Mother...?" Aversa spoke up, a hint of concern in her voice. Her eyebrows creased, and she moved her finger to nudge one of the baby's own tiny hands. "What's this?"

Althea's gaze slid over to look at what Aversa was pointing to, and felt her blood run cold as she saw a faint red mark on the back of her newborn's right hand, laid out in the same pattern as the rows of glowing eyes she had seen in her nightmare. More visions flickered through her mind at the sight of it, conflicting images of robins singing in the treetops and a beast standing in a field of fire, the sky black with smoke as embers fell like rain.

Breathing heavily, Althea blinked the visions away, clutching the baby close with one arm as her free hand moved to tightly grasp Aversa's arm, capturing her daughter's attention. "Aversa..." She lifted her gaze, staring deep into the warm depths of Aversa's eyes. "Never forget this moment, not for as long as you live..."

"I-I won't," Aversa squeaked softly, her voice timid but her eyes serious. "I won't, Mother, I promise."

Althea took a breath, then nodded, drawing her elder daughter close to press a kiss to her head. "We're family, no matter what. I love you both so much..." The exhausted mother squeezed her eyes shut, feeling a few tears slip from her eyes and roll down her sweaty, flushed face as she continued to be tormented by waking dreams, images flashing behind her eyes like memories half-forgotten.

Life and death...

Hope and despair...

Birdsong and ash...


End file.
